title: Potent anti-inflammatory activity of pheophytin a derived from edible green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera (Sujiao-nori).
abstract: Recently, a chlorophyll-related compound, pheophytin a, has been identified from an edible green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera (Sujiao-nori in Japanese) as a potent suppressive substance against genotoxin-induced umu C gene expression in a tester bacteria (Okai and Higashi-Okai, 1997, J. Sci. Food Agricul. 71, 531-535). In the present study, anti-inflammatory effects of pheophytin a from Enteromorpha prolifera have been analyzed using in vitro and in vivo experiments. 1. Pheophytin a suppressed the production of superoxide anion (O2-) in mouse macrophages induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) using the cytochrome C reduction method. 2. Pheophytin a caused a suppressive effect against formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, (FMLP)-induced chemotaxis of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in Boyden's chamber experiment. 3. Pheophytin a exhibited a significant suppression against TPA-induced inflammatory reaction such as edema formation in BALB/c mouse ear. These results suggest that pheophytin a from Enteromorpha prolifera has a potent anti-inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Life Science, Osaka Kun-Ei Women's College, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashi-Okai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010674:Pheophytins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010674:Pheophytins; D013481:Superoxides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; C061694:pheophytin a; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate